A SENIOR Chinese official in Hong Kong yesterday expressed China's strong opposition to the gazetting of Governor Chris Patten's electoral reform bill.
''This was a grave step taken by the British Hong Kong authorities on the road of confrontation with China. The British side should bear all the consequences arising from it,'' said Zhu Yucheng, deputy director of the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua (the New China News Agency).
He reiterated China's position that the introduction of Mr Patten's reform bill to the Legislative Council before the two sides reach an agreement meant the breakdown of Sino-British negotiations.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the move was ''another serious step towards purposely wrecking the Sino-British negotiations''.
But Hong Kong Xinhua director Zhou Nan said in Beijing: ''It is no big deal''.
An assistant director of the local Xinhua branch, Lee Wui-ting, formally announced a breakdown in the talks following the gazetting of the partial bill.
